Boeing is set to enter into a non-prosecution agreement in the fatal crashes of two 737 Max aircraft that killed hundreds, the US Department of Justice said. As part of the deal, Boeing will avoid an upcoming fraud trial that could have resulted in the US aviation giant and defence contractor being labelled a felon.

The Justice Department announced an agreement Friday to end its felony case against Boeing for the plane-maker’s role in two passenger jet crashes that killed a total of 346 people in Indonesia and Ethiopia — less than a year after the company agreed to plead guilty as part of a deal with the Biden administration.

Boeing and the Justice Department reached a deal that would allow the plane-maker to avoid prosecution for a fraud charge tied to the 737 Max crashes, which killed 346 people. Crash victims' family members have repeatedly called for more accountability and for Boeing officials to stand trial over the crashes.